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| Thomas Rowlandson by John Raphael Smith black chalk with graphite with grey ink The British Museum, London © The Trustees of the British Museum |
Thomas Rowlandson was a draughtsman and printmaker whose distinctive social satire has become integral to the popular vision of late Georgian Britain. Rowlandson was born in London in 1757 and educated at Dr Barwis’ school on Soho Square before attending the Royal Academy Schools from the age of fifteen. Rowlandson lived in the centre of London throughout his life, although he made several trips to continental Europe. Unusually for a Royal Academy student, Rowlandson seems never to have worked in oils, gravitating instead towards producing sketches and etchings for the print trade.
He began by making scabrous satires in the vein of his close friend and contemporary James Gillray, often on subjects such as the politicians William Pitt and Charles James Fox, the misdemeanours of the young prince of Wales (and future George IV), and events in post-revolutionary France. Unlike Gillray, however, he was equally adept making lyrical drawings and watercolours on a range of subjects, from imitations of Old Master paintings to picturesque landscapes.
Rowlandson worked for many print publishers but his most important employer was Rudolph Ackermann, who kept him in almost continual employment from 1798 onwards, making drawings for a wide range of books that exploited Rowlandson’s range for lyrical topography and gentle caricature. His drawings and watercolours were also collected by many wealthy patrons.
Rowlandson was healthy and industrious up until the last two years of his life. He died in 1827 and was buried in the church of St Paul’s, Covent Garden. Rowlandson’s work was neglected during the conservative Victorian period but since the 20th century he has been reappraised as one of the greatest of British graphic artists.
I’m grateful to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for their comprehensive online image resource of Thomas Rowlandson’s works.
This is part 1 of a 19-part series on the works of Thomas Rowlandson:
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| c1700-1818 Village scene with man at gate pen and ink and wash on laid paper14.3 x 20.7 cm Royal Academy of Arts Collection, London, UK |
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| after 1771 Elderly Aristocrat pen and grey ink, with watercolour The British Museum, London © The Trustees of the British Museum |
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| 1775 The coach booking office: Thomas Rowlandson & Henry Wigstead booking their passage ink and watercolour 17.8 x 29.2 cm |
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| 1775-1827 City View with Medieval Gate pen and ink and wash on paper 11.4 x 18.4 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1775-1827 Herd of deer under an oak tree pen and brush, red and grey watercolour c21.9 x 29.2 (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1775-1827 Landscape with rushing stream and a couple on the bank, frightened by a snake pen, ink and watercolour 33.7 x 45.7 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1775-1827 Woman Talking to a Seated Male Nude pen and brush in grey and red ink 20 x 15.6 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| after 1776 Landscape with a Cart Crossing a Bridge watercolour over graphite 30.5 x 47.9 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
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| after 1776 Mrs. Fitzherbert and the Prince of Wales pen and brush and watercolour 32.2 x 24 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
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| after 1776 The Tax Collector and the Poor Poet pen and watercolour 27.2 x 22.5 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
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| after 1776 Waltham Cross pen and wash over graphite 26.7 x 29.4 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
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| c1776 Sancho Panza, from Don Quixote hand-coloured etching 40.2 x 29 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780 Sr. Samuel House hand-coloured etching with roulette 23.7 x 18.7 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1800 A Young Woman (Heiress) Prepares to Sign a Document hand-coloured etching 17.5 x 25.2 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Migrants watercolour 14.5 x 23.8 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Nude Couple Embracing watercolour 21.8 x 17.3 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Nude Couple Embracing watercolour 23 x 18.6 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Standing Nude Man Supporting Fainting Female watercolour 22.1 x 17.6 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Standing Nude Man - Gaul killing himself and his wife (also known as “Ludovisi Gaul” or “The Galatian Suicide”) Rome, Roman National Museum, Palazzo Altemps |
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| 1780-1827 Street Scene:Vendor of Brushes watercolour 12.6 x 8.8 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 The Sailor's Return from Active Service watercolour 17 x 13.4 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 The Saw-Setter ink and watercolour 20.6 x 16.5 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1827 Venus, Anchises and Cupid watercolour 22.4 x 16.7 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1780-1800 The Connoisseur ink and watercolour 22.9 x 28.9 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| after 1781 Emily Pott as Thais, after Joshua Reynolds (see below) pen and grey ink with grey wash and watercolour The British Museum, London © The Trustees of the British Museum |
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| 1781 Emily Pott as Thais by Joshua Reynolds oil on canvas Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, UK |
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| 1781 Luxury etching 11.5 x 17 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1782 Rhodolph Schomberg, the famous stone-eater pen and brown ink with watercolour The British Museum, London © The Trustees of the British Museum |
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| 1783 All Fours hand-coloured etching and engraving 32.8 x 39 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783 Great Cry and Little Wool hand-coloured etching 21.8 x 30.6 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783 Scene in a Farce called The Quaker hand-coloured etching 18.8 x 26.8 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-84 Hilly River Landscape soft ground etching and aquatint 27.8 x 37.8 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-84 Landscape soft ground etching and aquatint 25.2 x 33 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-84 Landscape with Cottage Among Trees at Left, and a Distant Church Spire at Right soft ground etching and aquatint 27.8 x 28.2 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-84 Ruins soft ground etching and aquatint 27.7 x 37.8 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-87 Scene from the Tempest: Caliban, Prospero and Miranda etching 23,7 x 32.8 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-88 Wooded Scene soft ground etching and aquatint 33.3 cm wide (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-89 A Park Landscape etching and aquatint 26.5 c 34.2 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-89 Cottage with Cart and Pigs etching 18 x 25 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-90 Toasting hand-coloured etching and aquatint 15.3 x 18.4 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1783-95 Filus Prodigus (The Prodigal Son) after Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) (see below) etching 24 x 31.4 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1770 Filius Prodigusn(The Prodigal Son) by Domenico Cunego after Guercino engraving on laid paper |
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| 1784 A Sketch from Nature hand-coloured etching and stipple 29.8 x 40.3 cm (sheet) |
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| 1784 Bookseller and Author hand-colored etching and acquaint on ivory wove paper 30.5 x 37 cm (image) Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1784 Britannia Roused, or the Coalition Monsters Destroyed etching 27.4 x 21.3 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 Every Man Has His Hobby Horse hand-coloured etching 24.8 x 34.7 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 For The Benefit of The Champion hand-coloured etching 24.6 x 35.1 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 New Invented Elastic Breeches hand-coloured etching 24.3 x 34.4 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 Secret Influence Directing The New P-l-t (Parliament) hand-coloured etching 24.7 x 35.1 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 Sympathy, or A Family On A Journey Laying The Dust hand-coloured etching 24.8 x 34.9 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Champion of the People hand-coloured etching 26.2 x 35.8 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Devonshire, or Most Approved Method of Securing Votes hand-coloured etching 24.3 x 35.1 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Fall of Dagon – Or Rare News for Leadenhall Street hand-coloured etching 22 x 31.8 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Incurable hand-coloured etching 24.3 x 30. cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Infant Hercules hand-coloured etching 25.6 x 37.6 cm (sheet) © Royal Collection Trust, UK |
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| 1784 The Pit of Acheron or The Birth of the Plagues of England hand-coloured etching 28.1 x 33 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Poll hand-coloured etching 24.1 x 34.5 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784 The Westminster Mendicant hand-coloured etching 21.1 x 14.9 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784-86 Opening a Vein etching 14.3 x 18 cm (sheet) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1784-88 Boat in a Storm at Sea etching 22.5 x 27.8 cm (image) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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